The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-05
THE GIRLS FOOT 1T GAILY.
SENATOR HAMPTON'S DAUGHTER
WRITES OF A 3oo-MILE TRAMP.

The Dear Old Gentleman's Experience
AT the Grave of Lee-A 900 Yards
Dash at the End of Twenty-eight-
Mile Tramp-Ca a Kitchen on
Top of the Peaks.
In letter to the New York World Miss
N. S. Hampton says: 1t was a novel
thought that suggested summer pedestrian
tour through the mountains of Virginia,
but party of congenial spirits was organ
lied, q course of about 800 miles mapped
out. and start made from the university,
near Charlottesville, June 90
Our party consisted of the very dearest of
old gentlemen of the school of 'ye olden
time" who in his younger days had many a
time driven his coach-and-four though this
same region in going to and from the
Springs, two young ladies not afraid of
roughing it and long walk, and three
Young gentlemen as escorts.
Our chaperon, the Colonel, - with gallant
hand drove the vehicle that carried our
traps and luggage under the seats and
strapped on behind, and us, too, when we
wanted to make very long distance in one
day, and the roads were very good and the
sun was hot. Our friends had jeered us
with the prophecy that we would either
ride all the way, or else turn back in a
couple of days, but we were so full of pleas
ant anticipations that they alone drowned
these forebodings, and we started with
hearts us cloudless as the sky and happy as
that bright day of sunEhine i'll June.
On leaving the university the roads were
hot and dusty, SO we kept to the carriage
till II, when we went into camp on the
banks of very beautiful stream that runs
along the base of the Blue Ridge Noun
tains, where we Mnched, chatted and slept
till t. when off we started for Browns Gap.
At o'clock we took to the road, and be-
fore dark had walked seven miles by the
pedometer tc Nimod Browns, Here,
where the ascent of the mountains begins,
we found q quaint, old-fashioned house,
that from its size showed that it had been
used for hostelry before the rail
roads came Mrs. Brown received
us very Hospitality but regarded us
with quiet amusement, seeming to think
that we, especially tho ladies, would soon
find walking poor fun. On retiring to our
rooms a little dusky damscl of IA summers
came in and said: Miss, is you jest from
the cityl l hears in Richmond they is
wearing black frocks trimmed i'll white y
This poor child we afterward found out had
never in her life been more than five miles
from home but we posted her as best we
could as TO the freaks of Dame Fashion, u
and she soon made her exit to digest it all
in her dreams.
By in the morning we were started
again and before the sun was over the noun
tains we were passing well up the gap,
stopping ever and anon to drink in the eX-
quisite views that surely looked loveliest in
the early morn Every turn in the road
gave new glimpsos of the valley below and
the sight was such as to make us wish that
we arose oftener to see the beauties of dawn
1t was our programme to push on so as to
reach Weyer's Cave that afternoon, but
when on the top of the mountain we were
turned aside some four miles to visit the
'Black Roclzs,n tlGsAs nature truly.
The crest and one side of the noun
tain, covering about fourteen acres,
are mass of metallic rocks, without a
speck of vegetation save a vigorous growth
of black Ii hen. which covers the rocks and
gives them their name. The people say
that the lightning clouds lower around their
crests, and we could easily see how, through
time, the lightning had rent and splint these
masses of rock. There was something so
black and internal about them that it made
us feel that they formed an inverted funnel
that carried lightning and its thunderingS
down to the bowels of the earth. But how
different were the other feelings engen-
dered! The view is neither so expansive
nor SO grand as that we subsequently saw
from the Peaks of Otter, vet it is surpass-
ingly beautiful The climb to the high
est pinnacle of the rocks is both very diff
cult and a somewhat dangerous feat, but is
well worth the eXertion and risk.
PLAYING IT ON THE COLONEL.
Going down the gap we were caught in a
most dreadful rain and hail storm. We saw
the clouds, as black as night, towering over
and around the BLACK Rocks" when sud
denly they descended upon Us, first rolling
down in torrents of rain, then in hail, hail
ing. stones larger than pigeon egg and
some as fantastic Us the rocks above, and
then i'll rain again.
very amusing incident occurred here
We were just having dinner when the
storm came down. We had driven the car
riage under rickety old shed by the road
side and made our spread on the grass by a
stream, when we We're precipitated to shed
and carriage by the sudden storm The car
riage was given to the ladies and the gen.
tlemen moved around about it waiting upon
us. The roof of the shed admitted the rain
as through sieve and of course the gen
tlemen were getting wet. However, we
had wrapped our dear old uncle up i'll one
of our gossamers and felt that he would be
saved. He is now 70 years old. and of
course our whole journey depended upon
our taking the very best care of him. See
ing his hat was thoroughly wet some one
suggested that the hood of the gosSamer be
pulled up over his head. This was no sooner
suggested than of went his hat and one of
the young gentlemen hurriedly pulled up
the hood. Now the hood bad been hanging
there all this time catching the cold rain
water, and as it came down over poor
uncle's head it let loose about pint of ice
water that ran down his back to the very
soleS of his feet
We reached Weyer's Cave that evening,
put as it still rained and the cave was some
$40 yards from the hotel we put off its ex-
ploration till the morning.
The morning broke clear and by We
We're passing through the caves silent
mouth. Over two hours were spent in
walking through the immense rock cham
o6eis, while we gazed upon and admired the
iar famed wonders there In grandeur and
IN Its imposing effect the cave resembles
Luray; otherwise it cannot compare with
Those cavcrns, which are so beautiful in
Their dazzling radiance compared to the
dark formations here Then again the in
dlvldual curiosities in Luray are more mum
srous and far more perfect, yet the Fish
Market rock fish and Overturned
waiter" here are wonderful, and tho
f9d2d Blanket" * splendid.
While still looking for the wonderful we
found at the extreme end of the cave,
stretched across the hollow of broken
stolaginite, II new-lnade web, with the liv-
Trl,S spider resting upon it waiting its prey